The World as We Knew It
by keepinitrul2015
Summary: Follow the stories of Siku and Kazane as they live through the midst of the 100 years war. Struggle with them as they come face to face with love, loss and hardship as they and their families navigate in a world without an Avatar. A world soon plunged into chaos. "Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them. But when the world needed him most, he vanished..."
1. Siku 1

**Chapter One - Siku**

Ice and snow crackle beneath my feet as I jump from one drifting island to the next, careful to find my footing and not slip into the arctic waters all around me. I push forward, gaining speed, my breathing hard and heavy as we gain on our target. I look over my shoulder.

"Hurry up Sedna, you're falling too far behind."

"Coming." She huffs out, sprinting to catch up with the pace of our hunting group.

I jump onto a large section of ice connected to the snowy shoreline, and stoop down, examining the white powder. My two teammates, Sora and Mizuki, take note of my sudden stop, and circle around as I check the track marks in the snow. Sedna soon catches up to us, panting and gasping, short spear swishing wildly to and fro on her back.

"Sedna, your spear isn't tightened correctly," I critique as I stand up, "you could hurt yourself. Or someone else."

"Ah, you're right!" She exclaims, hurriedly trying to reach behind herself to adjust the leather sheath holding it.

"Here, I'll help you." Mizuki says, spinning the frantic Sedna around and tightening the belt for her.

I purse my lips. "The tracks seem to be slowing, I don't think it's too far ahead. Be on guard."

Sora and Mizuki both unsheath their spears, quietly creeping along the snow beside me as we approach the shoreline. Sedna quickly follows suit, joining us as we cautiously advance over the sloping hills of the tundra. As we crest the first peak I motion for my comrades to stay low. Just below us is a large, white polar bear-dog pawing fruitlessly into a hole in the ice and snow, probably looking for seals.

I crouch down with my teammates, looking them all in the face. "It's right down there. There isn't really a good angle to come at it since it'll see us rather easily as we come down the slope, so Sedna and Mizuki, I want you guys to take the right. Sora and I will take the left. And remember, we need to kill it, but keep as much of the hide intact as we can for coats for the village," I look at Sedna, "Don't do anything stupid, and don't get anyone killed. That includes yourself. Got it? Good. Let's go."

I swiftly vault over the peak of the snow drift and gracefully slide down the slope, using that velocity to the push me into a sprint. I look back and see Sora and Mizuki quickly follow my lead, Sedna nowhere in sight. I tsk under my breath. _Whatever. I told the chief we'd be better off without her anyway._

The bear-dog tosses its head to the side, noticing me and Sora first. It roars aggressively at us, changing its footing to be more stable, its large shoulders hunched and body low. I slow my pace, prepared for it to charge, and steady my breathing. Mizuki's made it to the dog's backside and picks up a handful of snow, throwing it at the animal who turns quickly in fear and confusion.

It growls again, this time at her, and Sora takes initiative, hurling another snowball at the animal. It turns towards him, and he uses the opportunity to draw it out, away from the seal hole, allowing me and Mizuki to advance closer, circling around to its sides. Mizuki thrusts her spear at the animal, and Sora quickly follows suit, keeping the beast off balance. I use this chance to breathe deeply, focusing my energy into a stream that flows into every part of my body.

The bear-dog lunges at Sora and he jumps back, too close to its fangs for comfort. Mizuki takes the head of her spear and whacks the animal, making a resounding smack and causing the beast to roar again in pain and agitation, and quickly, much _too_ quickly, turn and swipe at her, catching her side. She gasps as its claws puncture her skin and the momentum tosses her to the ground, her body sliding on the slick ice.

Sora yells and jabs the beast twice in the side, and each time he pulls back, his spear glints crimson in the bright winter sunlight. The animal cries out and turns again, biting deep into Sora's spearhead as he thrusts once more, and yanks it out of his hands. Sora, now unarmed, regains his balance and begins to back away. Mizuki is just now regaining her footing, holding her side, her own blood causing small stains in her parka as the bear-dog rears up on its hind legs, towering another six feet above even the tallest member of our tribe, with Sora in its sights.

It roars menacingly as it staggers towards him, Sora backing away even more quickly now, with no means to defend himself. Mizuki quickly runs after her own spear, but I know we're running out of time.

_Fuck concentration Master Jiro, it's now or never._

A stream of crystal clear water quickly follows my will, and as the bear-dog raises its paws higher to deliver a crushing blow to the man beneath it, a liquid rope tightly wraps itself around the beast's neck. Using all of my physical and mental strength, I use the rope to pull the animal backwards, the beast falling with a ground-shaking thud. Mizuki and Sora both scramble for their spears, the polar bear-dog huffing as it slowly stands again, but I'm not finished. I gather my energy and make a geyser out of the seal hole, icy water spewing into the air, and then I force it to fall as hard as I can onto the bear-dog, forcing it back to the ground. I continue hitting it with massive currents over and over again, the beast being pushed back and forth by the powerful streams until I have to catch my breath. My arms ache and my chest is heaving, but the animal somehow has enough breath to get up. I look around; Mizuki has her spear dug deep into the ice and is holding onto it for dear life, and Sora has been knocked off his feet by the constant waves and is only now beginning to get his bearings.

I push through my intense exhaustion, and grab hold of the water pooled at the bear-dog's feet. I inhale deeply, and as I exhale the water around the animal begins to freeze. It belatedly tries to step away from the growing layer of ice, but its small back legs get caught in the quickly hardening water. The beast breaks each leg free in turn, but not before the others begin to become ensnared. I start to circle around the animal, trying to more quickly freeze the water around it, removing its ability to escape as Sora, having regained his mangled spear, runs over to Mizuki to help pull hers out of the ice. At that point, Sedna, apparently having regained her courage, steps over the snow drift, and, running part of the way down, begins to waterbend.

Sedna pulls the excess water from around us and suspends it in the air, shaping it into a large spear-like object of its own above the polar bear-dog.

"Don't try to be the hero, Sedna," I yell towards her, still trying to focus on my own bending.

"I'm just trying to help!" She yells back.

"We need that hide for the village," Sora calls out to her. "Put it down."

She hesitates, realizing he's right. "I-I don't know how!" She exclaims. "Siku, help me!"

"Just release the energy, Sedna!" I say, losing concentration, the ice beginning to melt back into the water it was. "Relax your body! Remember the ebb and flow of the currents, and let the power recede slowly." The bear-dog begins to struggle free of its confines, but Sora and Mizuki have regained their flanking positions around our target, ready for its next attack.

"I CAN'T!" Sedna yells out frantically, realizing her little stunt is costing us our focus, and therefore our mission. "Siku! Please help me! I can't! I ca-AH!" I toss my head around just in time to see Sedna lose her balance and fall forward, her speed and the slickness of the ice and snow catapulting her forward towards us.

"Sora!" I call out and he and Mizuki turn quickly at my tone, seeing Sedna hurtling towards me, arms covering her face to protect herself from the sharp ice. I try to refocus, and quickly turn Sedna's ice spear into rain as it falls, finishing just as her body hurtles into my legs, knocking them out from under me. The bear-dog takes this chance to pounce on Mizuki, but she blocks it's ferocious jaws with the body of her spear to its throat, the animal only managing to pin her beneath its gigantic frame. Sedna, however, is still catapulting forward on the ice, body spinning in circles now from clipping my legs, headed straight towards the engorged seal hole.

Sora lunges for her as she passes him, managing to grab hold of the waist of her parka and altering their trajectory slightly to the right, but still straight towards her former destination. _Shit shit shit shit shit! _Is all I can think as, for the first time in a long time, my body freezes in fear.

"Siku!" Mizuki yells, a ferocious wild animal just inches from her face, while Sedna screams as she and Sora come closer and closer to plummeting into the icy ocean. I quickly suppress my fear and get back to my feet, using the water around Mizuki and the polar bear-dog to create another large wave and push the beast off of my friend, turing then to save the others, but Sora, seeing the path that they're on, places his feet and hands on Sedna's back, and pushes her away from him with all his might, sealing his fate but sending her crashing into my legs for the second time.

I topple over, Sedna and I a mess of limbs, and simultaneously two things happen; First, I watch in horror as Sora takes one last breath before plummeting into the the icy ocean. Second, the polar bear-dog, still much too close to Mizuki, begins to stand and shake off the water still in its coat.

I quickly and decisively grab Sedna's spear from its holster and yank my body away from hers, in turn pulling her up off the ground and thrusting the spear into her hands. "Help Mizuki," I growl at her dazed features, "and if either of them are hurt I swear to the Spirits I'll kill you." I then sprint towards the seal hole and Sora.

Knowing that the arctic ice sometimes freezes to be several feet thick, I know there's no way I could find Sora from the surface, so I take a deep breath and dive in after him. The shock of the cold through my body makes my lungs ache, and I feel like a thousand tiny needles are simultaneously piercing my skin. I create a bubble of air for myself so I can breathe in quickly and deeply before beginning my search. With the meager light from the seal hole, and varying thickness of the ice, a few feet beneath the surface is sufficiently illuminated for me to see a shadowy outline slowly sinking toward the dark ocean floor.

I force my arms and legs to move through the water, my limbs already feeling like lead as I manage to grab hold of the unconscious Sora, enlarging my air bubble for him, and drag us both back up to the surface. I must've gotten turned around somehow though, because swimming over to a particularly bright patch of water that I thought was the hole to the surface yields only a clear, but dense piece of ice.

I push against the ice above us, moving along it and hoping to maybe find a piece that moves, or another hole for us to squeeze through, but Mother Nature isn't letting us have that kind of freebie. I glance at Sora, feeling the lack of his breath against my skin, and my own body already numb and heavy, and decide that there's no other way. I'll have to chance it. I clutch him to my body with one hand as my legs desperately kick to keep us afloat, and with the other I press my palm to the ice and will it through the cold surface. The ice almost looks like it's melting around my fingers, but in reality I'm changing its form, allowing me to move through it as easily as water.

I start to pull the rest of me up through the ice in the same manner, still holding Sora tightly. I push and keep pushing through the dense layers of ice, my energy and stamina waning low, but I know if I stop we'll be trapped here until we die. So I keep going, and slowly but surely we begin to climb out of the frozen water and into the light of the sun.

I gasp as my face emerges, gulping down the fresh air, and slowly work my shoulders and then arms out, pulling Sora out after me. I shiver with cold as the air hits me, somehow colder now than I was in the sub-zero waters. I look around for Mizuki and Sedna, spotting them several yards from us just as Mizuki runs her spear through the bear-dog's skull with a victorious battle cry.

I turn my attention back to Sora and unbutton his parka, pressing my ear to his soaked wool undershirt. He's not breathing, and his heartbeat can only faintly be heard.

"Ah, shit! Fuck! What do I do.." I panic before I pinch his nose and press my mouth to his, breathing air into his lungs. I then pump my hands three times over his heart and when he doesn't respond I start the process all over again. And then again. And again. "No no no no no, don't you dare Sora. Don't you fucking dare!" I yell at his unresponsive features, scared tears congregating in my eyes before I realize that I'm a fucking idiot.

I place my hand on his chest and delicately sweep it up towards his face, a palm sized amount of water escaping his mouth. He remains still, so I plug his nose again and do the same as earlier, and then he coughs rapidly, gasping and struggling to sit up.

"No, don't." I say to him, holding him where he is on the ground, and moving some of his dark, wet hair from his face. "You'll hurt yourself. I need you to stay still. Mizuki!" I turn and yell towards her. "Hurry!" His hands feebly grab hold of the one resting on his cheek, turning his face to kiss it, and only then do I realize I can't feel my hands. Or the rest of me. "Sora, I was so scared." I whisper to him, and I only know that I'm crying when I see my tears splatter on his chest.

"Is Sedna ok?" He asks through coughs, voice thick and raspy.

"Hey! Are you two alright?" Mizuki yells, as she and Sedna rush over to us.

"Sedna," I say, my eyes narrowing at the sight of her.

They bound over to us, Mizuki bending down to help me up as I let go of Sora and stand. And Sedna, the little punk, she _smiles at me_ in what I assume to be relief when she sees us both.

"Siku, I am so sorry! I'm so glad you guys got out! How are you? How's Sora? How can I hel-" she gets cut off by my fist, it promptly connecting with her face.

"Siku!" Sora objects, surprised.

"Woah! Hey!" Mizuki yells, trying to get in between me and Sedna, but I push past her and pick the little brat up by her collar.

"Are you handicapped somehow, or seriously just _that _stupid, to think your apology could even _slightly _measure up to the damage you just caused? You almost killed us, _all _of us, you little brat. Be grateful that that's the only thing I'm giving you for this." I push her over, sending her toppling to the ground, sliding a bit on the slick ice. "Hurry and get up, we need to get Sora back to the boats before we both freeze to death."

"She didn't mean anything by it Siku, it was an accident." Sora says as Mizuki and I help him off the ground, "she's just a kid."

"Just a kid?" I ask, incredulous, "and what are we, Sora? What were we when we first became a team? Adults? I don't care that she's 'just a kid' or that 'it was an accident'! She could've killed you! She could've killed all of us! She doesn't get a free pass just because she's inept! She needs to be held accountable for her 'accidents', and _this," _I gesture to her entire being as she stands up, "is _exactly _why I didn't want her to come in the first place!"

He just looks at me, and Mizuki and Sedna are both silent, the latter tending to her bloody nose. "Whatever," I continue, "We need to get going before she manages to do anything else."

~.~.~.~

"Chief Antou," I exclaim, "she's a hazard! She's a nuisance!"

"She's my daughter."

"Apparently that doesn't keep her from knocking people into the ocean and not knowing how to hunt an animal." I glower at him, and he barely glances at me.

"That's why I asked you to teach her, Shizuka. You're one of the most promising students the Southern Water Tribe has, in both water bending and martial training. Are you saying my thirteen year old daughter is too much for you to handle?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying!" I yell at him, walking quickly as Chief Antou strides through the fortified ice walls of Harbor City. "Because if I have to deal with her constant stream of useless facts, sudden disappearances and apparent homicidal tendencies, you may never see one of us again. I may actually strangle her, Chief. That, or throw myself to the leopard seals."

"Sedna isn't homicidal, Shizuka."'

"I go by Siku now," I grumble, jogging ahead of him and stopping directly in his path, blocking his way forward, "and is that all you were listening to? She almost killed us! Her being your daughter has nothing to do with it anymore, Antou, I'm not going to let her continue to endanger me and my team."

He looks at me and begrudgingly sighs. "Alright, I understand your concerns, … Siku, I only ask that you give her another chance. She really admires you, you know. Perhaps you get through to her more than you realize? You leave many marks on her, Siku, and not only with your fists." He looks at me, passing by me to wherever it is he's going, and I feel a slight pang of guilt, but I quickly suppress it.

"Fine," I say, "what else would you have me do with her?"

"You could take her out and teach her to spar. The activity could do you both good."

"Wait, you're giving me permission to beat her up now? I thought you just asked me not to."

"You're not going to beat her up Siku. Go easy on her. She's learning. Be patient and teach her well, and she may just surprise you."

He strides away, leaving me standing in the middle of the hallway as the guardsmen pass me by.

~.~.~.~

I stomp down the stairs and back into the city streets, silently cursing to myself. I take the time to readjust my gloves over my still sore fingertips and start towards the village center, the hustle and bustle of people in the city making it hard to stay in my mood for very long. Children run through the streets, laughing with friends as their parents bargain and haggle with the stall vendors in the streets. Couples sit at the fountains decorating the center of town quietly giggling to themselves as they lean in.

The smells though .. the smells are always what make me feel the most at ease. The scent of seaweed soup and seal jerky emanates across town and coupled with it, smells of imported spices like cinnamon fill desert stalls baking fresh bread pudding. I breathe in deeply, both to calm myself and reminisce of the smells from my childhood, stopping at a stall to pick something up for Sora and Mizuki.

I then make my way into the healer's hut where I can see both my teammates still within. Mizuki has been finished by now, her wounds having been closed by the benders, leaving only small scars in their wake. She is sitting next to Sora who has been placed in a chair next to the fireplace, heaps of blankets covering his body and a large pot of boiling water resting above the fire, emitting steam into the room, all to try and help his temperature reach normal. They chat softly with one another and Mizuki laughs at something Sora says.

"Hey guys," I say, stepping closer towards them, "How are you feeling? I picked these up for you." I hand them each the bear stew I bought for them, and the bread pudding I got to go with it.

"Thanks Siku," Sora says.

"Yeah, thanks!" Mizuki smiles at me, her warmth then quickly taken over by concern. "Are you sure you shouldn't be in here with us? I mean, you both went under and you both had to endure the ride home, freezing your asses off."

"I'm fine. Really. I'm more concerned about you."

"Well, I'm fine," she states definitively, " I'm only here to keep Sora company."

Sora chuckles. "Thanks, Suk, I appreciate it."

"No problem." She nudges him with a grin.

"And I'm ok too." Sora says, readjusting the blankets that had started to slide off his shoulder. "But are we gonna talk about what happened with you and Sedna?"

"Yeah, that was rough." Mizuki interjects. "Like, on the way home I thought at a couple points you were gonna tip our canoe in vengeance."

"I wouldn't have done that!" I state defensively, "You were in it too!"

She scoffs. "And there we have it folks."

"You guys are acting like I'm the one who fucked up here, but I wasn't. Sedna was. So I don't know why you're coming down this hard on me when I'm only mad because she was careless and useless and constantly in the way and-"

"And that's where you're wrong," Sora says, and I fume at his words. " It's not like she went out of her way to throw us into danger, she-"

"Didn't care to think of the consequences of her actions and instead-"

"Acted on impulse like you have countless times before?" He asks, eyebrows raised. "I'm pretty sure she only infuriates you this much because you guys are so similar."

"Like remember that time with the Yak corralling?" Mizuki says.

"You mean the one where Siku totally forgot to watch for snow leopards like Master Adan told us?" Sora laughs. "And only missed being pounced on because she moved last second to pick up a snowball?

"And then she was afraid the Yaks would run away and so she-"

"Ok! I get it!" I say exasperated.

"Or the time that we were following her down the river in our kayaks-" Mizuki starts.

"And I kept telling her I was pretty sure there were rapids ahead?" They both laugh "And then she sees them and she's like 'oh shit!'" Sora makes an overdramatic scared face and Mizuki bawls laughing.

"Alright! Enough! I said I get it already! By the Spirits!" I pout, slumping back in my chair.

"All we're trying to say Siku," Mizuki begins, "Is that you haven't really given her a chance. She could still surprise you."

"I doubt that." I mumble and then sigh. "But whatever, I had the Chief remove her from our squad in exchange for me tutoring her. So maybe I should get going."

"And I should probably be getting back to Ryu." Mizuki says, a fond look on her face as she mentions of her fiance.

"Well, don't worry, I'll be here." Sora says, waving us off to our individual tasks. "See you later!"

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"Alright brat, here's your first lesson. LESSON NUMBER ONE! Never put your teammates in danger. Ya got that!?" I look at Sedna expectantly, walking to and fro in front of her.

"Y-yes, of course." She refuses to meet my gaze, her nose and under eyes purple from our last encounter.

"And you've got to look at me. I can guarantee that I'm much less dangerous than half the things you and your team will face in this tundra, and if you can't look me in the eye, how do you expect to be able to face the reality out there?" I ask, arms folded, stopping my feet and staring at her head on.

She meekly lifts her eyes from the ground.

"Now stare at me for as long as you can." I command, glaring right back at her. She manages for some time, then falters and looks away. "Nope, that's not how this is gonna go. You see, to be a good, even ~great~ waterbender, you have to overcome your fear. Of me, of failure, of Tiger-Sharks, of drowning in the ocean, I don't care what it is. You have to get over it. And that's because if you don't, your fears will control you, disrupt the flow of your energy, and isolate you from any and all talents you possess."

She lifts her head up.

"Point in case, today with your ice spear, you managed to create it just fine, but when it came to controlling it, your fears overcame you and kept you from being able to manipulate that water at will. And that takes us back to lesson number one. You put your teammates in danger. How? With your fear. You froze up, and once you did that, the mission went haywire. We had to focus on you and not the wild animal right in front of us. You could've done any number of things that prevented you from sliding into that seal hole, but once you froze up, you stopped thinking, and that put all of us at that animal's mercy. Do you understand?"

"Y-yeah, I do." She pauses. "So you're never afraid?"

"No, trust me, I am. But the thing that makes people brave is not that they never feel fear, but that they are never subject to it. That they can will themselves to move forward in spite of that fear and accomplish their goal. I can't even count the times that I've been afraid for me or my team, but I'm always propelled by the desire to protect them, to finish, to make it back home regardless of what happens out there, and those desires make me have to act."

"That … makes sense."

"It does, doesn't it. And that's the link I think you're missing, so today we're gonna focus, not just on technique, but on mentality so you can build your strength of character." I chuckle. "You might hate me before this is over … Now I want you to sprint from here to that snowpile as fast as you can, twenty times over!"

"But that's so far aw-"

"GO, GO, GO!"


	2. Kazane 1

**Chapter One - Kazane**

"You can't sit there. That seat's reserved."

"Oh, I'm sorry, excuse me." I mumble and move to the seat on the other side of my parents. I glance at my father and he gives me a reassuring smile as he pats my hand.

"Don't worry," he says, "you'll get the hang of this."

This is the first time I've been allowed to accompany Mother and Father to anything personally hosted by the Firelord, and I'm already messing things up. I sigh and survey the 30 or so people seated at the table, counting the children in attendance. There are four spread out among the adults, not including me, and they all seem to be at least fifteen, and much more practiced at this than I am. I notice a boy a little ways down from me sitting idly as the people around him talk casually. He looks bored, but still poised, so I straighten my back in a similar fashion, and take my hands from the tabletop to my lap. I try to mimic his politely disinterested expression, but my father whispers to me,

"Kazane, why are you glaring at him?"

I flush in embarrassment. "I wasn't, I was just-"

I don't have time to explain myself because I'm interrupted as the flames of the torches along the walls flare high and intense. Everyone begins standing so I scramble to my feet as well, and as the fires recede, we all place our fists to our palms and bow before Firelord Sozin. I try to stay focused on the ground in front of me, but catch sight of the Firelord's robe, trailing elegantly behind him like molten lava as he strides to his throne. The flames behind him and those on the walls peak for a second time before Sozin addresses us,

"Sit."

We all dutifully fulfill his command, and silently wait for him to speak.

"I trust you are all doing well," Sozin gestures to us, "and I am glad to see the next generation of our nation's great leaders seated before me. And what an introduction they will have! Today we will awaken the very heart of the fire that burns at the foundation of our great civilization! Today we open our ranks to welcome our countrymen, and open our eyes to witness the honor and the _glory _bestowed upon us by the great dragons to be instruments of change! Today, we go to war."

A slight murmur rushes through the room, and my father inexplicably tenses. I look around and the reactions are as varied as they come; some being merely surprised, others worried and still others almost glowing with anticipation. I accidentally make eye contact with the Firelord and quickly look away from his intense, piercing gaze.

"I know that this may come as a shock to many of you, and some may feel that this decision was made in error," Firelord Sozin's hard eyes quickly brush over my mother and father, and their friend, Lord Haruki, who sits further down the table, "However, know that it is never your place to question me. In my supreme wisdom I have come to understand that the greatness that the Fire Nation once had has been lost! Now we are a people who laze, fat and comfortable in our prosperity, as weaker, lesser nations thrive and expand! It is humiliating to remain with our hands folded in our laps as others write history," I suddenly feel the need to take my hands out of my lap, "and I refuse to let our splendor die in complacency! I refuse to allow our citizens to grow content with our meager influence, for strength does not lie in defense, but in attack!"

His fires surge and subside gradually, and we all wait for his continued address to us, but Firelord Sozin remains silent. He gauges us, and with an almost oppressive atmosphere, he challenges us to respond.

"My Firelord," Father inclines his head respectfully, cutting through the tension with his words, "I would only ask how, in your _supreme wisdom, _you plan to reverse centuries of peace to expand 'our glory'."

"A good question my friend!" Lord Haruki bellows in his deep rumble of a voice, (though to be fair it always sounds like Lord Haruki is bellowing), "And I assume the concept of an Avatar is not foreign to you, Lord Sozin? What with your friend Roku contributing so much to the renovations of your throne room."

He smirks through his long black beard and a slight murmur again makes its way through the room. And yet Lord Haruki continues, unbothered by both his peers' chatter and the unwavering gaze of the Firelord upon him.

"It does not take much effort, oh mighty Firelord, to remember back to the days of Chin the conqueror and how quickly, and how effectively Avatar Kyoshi dealt with his … Exuberance. Do you somehow possess greater power and knowledge than these, your predecessors? How might you steel yourself from certain destruction? Enlighten us."

My father again speaks up, "Glory and splendor cast many men to foolishness, but the Avatar is a reminder to us all that only balance and harmony are the ways in which we can truly surpass our ancestors in dignity and honor."

Firelord Sozin chuckles, a sound completely foreign to me, and one that sends shivers down my spine.

"How, you ask? Don't be so naïve to think I have yet to put these plans into action! Since Avatar Roku died we have progressed further and further into the earth kingdom, and every day our armies have grown in strength and number. Leave these walls behind, and throughout my kingdom you will find generations of benders keen and _eager_ to see us grow into an empire! And soon, with the arrival of the comet we will be at our fullest strength! At that time we will strike! Strike down all who stand in the way of our greatness! Of our destinies! When that time comes I- we- will no longer argue with those who disagree with us, we will destroy them!"

As his intensity grows, the torches along the walls are snuffed out, their sources of air and fuel gradually being pulled towards the Firelord's throne. His flames devour them, reaching higher than I would've ever thought possible, embers spilling from their confines onto the dark granite floor beneath them. The tapestries hung before the Firelord's throne quickly succumb to his flames as a wall of heat buffets us mercilessly.

"I will not allow cowards and monks to force me to shirk off the responsibility, the _honor_, destined to me by the great spirits, to balance the world in unity under the banner of the Fire Nation! I will no longer allow myself to be hindered by the thoughts of lesser men! I am Firelord! Any who rally behind my flag, let us always have a dagger in our teeth, a fire in our hands, and infinite scorn in our hearts, for it is better to live one day as a lion than a hundred as a sheep!"

I hide my face from the onslaught of this unending heat as nothing can be heard except the roar and crackle of the flames. I peek through my fingertips as Firelord Sozin rises from his throne and in an almost eerie calm, strides to the top of the steps. He surveys what I can imagine is a group of similarly hidden or averted faces with a fanatic sort of glee before he roars, as fiercely and oppressively as the fires,

"Leave me, at once!"

I scramble to my feet along with the majority of the courtesans who scurry away, and out the door. My father and mother rise slowly and elegantly, much to the scorn of the Firelord. They then gently lead me away, closing the door behind us as the fire nation emblems turn to ash and dissipate, what's left of them slowly fluttering to the floor.

~.~.~.~

Outside the doors I'm barely able to stand as I tremble in shock at everything I witnessed. I've never seen anyone become that enraged before. And I never hope to again. Lord Haruki is waiting for my parents as we emerge, and he comes over to clasp my father on the shoulder and whisper something in his ear. My mother worriedly glances between the two men, and as Lord Haruki draws away, Father looks at me.

"Kazane, go to your room. Your mother and I won't be long, Darling. Don't let anyone in."

I clutch at his sleeve, "But Father, I-"

"Kazane. Go. We will be back for you shortly." I turn my face away. He gently tucks a loose strand of my hair back into my headdress and then cups my chin to raise my eyes to his. "Can you be brave for me, my little one?"

I nod once and shift my eyes away again. "That's the spirit, Fire Lily! I'll bring 'em right back for you." Lord Haruki exclaims, heartily patting my shoulder. He then takes my father by his shoulders and proceeds to walk swiftly down the corridor.

I turn and walk the opposite way. My walking gets brisker. Then I'm kinda jogging. Before I know it I'm sprinting down the hallways, blindly turning corners and wiping tears, with my kimono hiked up to my shins. As is probably inevitable in these instances, I barrel into someone, sending us both to the ground.

"Ah! I'm so sorry!" I sniff, trying to collect my dress so I can release the stranger beneath me.

"Are you alright?" The man, well, boy, asks me before I have a chance to ask him.

"Ah, yes! Yes, I'm fine. Are you?" I finally manage to gather my kimono from under me, moving off of the boy and looking him in the face.

It's the young man from the council room! The one I was trying to mimic. Upon closer inspection he has very dark black hair and light amber eyes and a mouth currently quirked up into a smirk.

"Did you hear me?" He asks, amused.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"I said that I'm fine. And I asked where you were going in such a hurry." He stands and offers me a hand up, which I take. He's taller than his face seems to say he should be, with cheeks that are still slightly full and no hint of facial hair to be seen.

"I was going to my room." I answer, taking my hand from his and readjusting my kimono and headdress.

He laughs. "You're a bit too far from the private quarters to convince me of that. Just over there is the courtyard and little ways beyond that, the main hall." He gestures to our surroundings.

"Oh." Is all I can say as I realize he's right.

He studies me for a moment and I look at his shoes. They're clean and new. A pair of black, pointed boots suitable for a young nobleman, or maybe a young armsman.

"Perhaps I should escort you?" He offers. "So that you won't get lost again?"

I flush in embarrassment, still staring at his shoes. "If you must. I'm sure I'm quite capable of finding my own way."

"Just to be sure, then." He says, taking my hand and striding down the hallway. "My name's Kaito, what's yours?"

"K-Kazane." I stutter, still shocked from his sudden and decisive contact, struggling to keep up with his long strides.

"You were just in the council room, weren't you? With the Firelord?"

"Yeah…"

"I thought so. How old are you?"

"What's that got to do with anything?" I ask, trying my hardest to keep up with his questions and his pace.

"You look so young. I didn't know they let kids in there." Is his only response.

I pull my hand out of his grasp and stop in my tracks. Surprised, he turns to look at me.

"I'm not a kid." I defend, "I'm twelve, which is plenty old enough to sit in on the council! How old are you, Mr High and Mighty?"

He grins, sheepish and yet still amused. "I'm fifteen, ma'am. Almost sixteen."

"And I'm soon to be thirteen, so we're not very different at all. And I'm a Lady. Not a ma'am." I raise my chin, trying to look authoritative and dignified.

He's still grinning as he bows. "Then allow me to apologize, Lady Kazane. Twelve, soon to be thirteen, _is _plenty old enough to sit in on the council. My mistake."

"I accept your apology." I try to say casually, but his continued bowing is making me nervous. "You can stand up now."

"Thank you." He says, his amber eyes gazing at me intently through his dark lashes as he straightens. I feel my cheeks heat up again, and I curse my overly reactive face. He smiles. "You're a very interesting girl. And rather cute, too, especially when you blush like that." He goes to take my hand again, but my stunned tomato face and I back out of his reach.

"You flatter me too much."

"Perhaps," he says, "but I mean it."

"My father says flattery is a man's first defense when he recognizes a strong woman. He uses it to disarm her, and place her under the power of his words. I hope you know, I will not be swayed by you, and I think I can manage very well from here, thank you."

I stride down the hallway, intent on making it to my room without him. But he saunters after me.

"I was only trying to compliment you. Is that not allowed?" He asks, easily keeping pace with me. I roll my eyes and surge forward, but his long legs catch up quickly. I huff in exasperation.

"No, it's not allowed. I'm more than just a pretty face upon which to toss compliments. My father says anyone who can't recognize me for more than that isn't worth my time."

"Wise words," Kaito agrees, "and I imagine they'll aide you well as you get older. But tell me, do you always listen to what your father says?" He grabs my wrist and spins me to face him, his features disastrously close to my own.

I yank myself free of his hands. "You needn't keep grabbing hold of me like you have some sort of claim over me. I'm a woman, but that doesn't make me an object, nor your plaything." I push away from him and Kaito raises his hands in his defense, beginning to speak, but much to both of our surprise, someone else beats him to the punch.

"Kazane!" I jump and twirl around at the sound of my name. My Father quickly makes his way down the corridor. "I thought I told you to go to your room? Who is this?" He asks as he approaches, herding me away from Kaito.

"Just a boy, Father. His name is Kaito."

"Kaito," Father eyes him keenly.

Kaito bows to him, saluting him with his fist to his palm. "Lord Atsuko, it's an honor. My apologies, I kept your daughter longer than I intended. I hope I haven't caused you any inconvenience."

"Not as of yet." My father gauges me and then narrows his gaze on Kaito, "Though I would suggest that the next time my daughter tells you to stop touching her, you follow that direction. To the T. Otherwise you may become a rather large inconvenience to me."

I blush and even Kaito looks a bit flustered, but before I know it I'm being led down the hallway again.

~.~.~.~

I sit tensely on one of the many chaise lounges within our spacious living area, my father and mother sitting across from me. I look back and forth between them, but neither of them seem to notice me. We've been sitting here like this for some time, and yet they've only spoken quietly to themselves. I smooth out the edges of my kimono nervously.

When I got home earlier, I expected to get reprimanded for not being here waiting for them, but all that happened was my father, mother and Lord Haruki went back into father's study. And didn't come out for several hours. When they did, Lord Haruki left abruptly without any goodbyes, and my parents called me in here with them.

"We're going to increase your firebending lessons starting immediately." My mother suddenly declares, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"But why?" I question, distraught, "Father, if this is about Kaito I'm sorry. I honestly can handle him, I'm sure."

"Kaito?" My mother inquires.

"This isn't about the boy, Kazane, though that is another reason for you to put your best efforts into learning from Master Cho."

"You know I always do." I complain dejectedly, grasping my hands tightly together.

"Kazane, things in this palace are happening at an alarming rate. Much faster than we could've expected, and we just want you to be as prepared as you can be." My mother assures me.

"What things? What's happening? And why is the Firelord talking about war?" I distinctly recall his anger and urgency from earlier.

"The reasons we must prepare you are not possible for you to know, Fire Lily. At least not yet. You must only trust us in this." My father says sagely, and my mother smiles sadly at me.

"Can you be brave for us, Kazane?" She asks.

"Ugh! Why are you always like this?!" I yell at them, surging up from my seat. "Asking me to be big and brave like an adult but constantly treating me like a child! How can you ask me to prepare for something when I don't even know what it is?! How can you ask me to be brave when everyone around me is scared, for a reason 'not possible for me to know'?" I try to will my angry tears back to wherever they came from, but they bubble over my lashes and down my cheeks. "How can you ask me not to fear this constant and suffocating uncertainty? And how can _you _be the ones always thrusting me farther into it?! Smiling and nodding to your own advice as if it's supposed to comfort me! You're never fair! Never to me! I hate it!" I sob and dash to my room, violently slamming the door behind me.

I collapse onto my spacious bed and grip the covers with hands balled into fists as I cry bitterly. Sadness and anger and confusion and loneliness and all the rest of my bottled up emotions pull at my insides, only able to express themselves through this constant stream of tears. _How can they know so much about the world and yet expect me to be content with knowing so little? _

I let all of my tears dry up before I sit at my vanity, beginning the messy work of untangling my hair from my skewed headdress. I tug and pull at the tangles harshly, and as the last strands fall from the ornaments I remove my necklace and my makeup before picking up my brush to begin unknotting my hair again. I gaze at my reflection wistfully, wishing that instead of being caught in this tumultuous middle stage of life I could somehow spring forward into adulthood. Or even backwards into childhood. And as I brush out a particularly tight knot from my dark hair, a sharp tap resonates through my room.

It wasn't quite a knock, so I listen for a moment. It sounds again. I quietly put down my brush and search for the source of it, and it comes again from one of my windows. The wooden frame and paper panels shake, the noise originating from outside. I push open the window to see what could possibly be banging on it from the second story, only to be hit in the head, rather abruptly, with a pebble.

"Ow!" I exclaim, agitated.

"Oh! Sorry! Are you ok?" I look down to see Kaito far below me in the dusk of the evening.

"What are you doing here?" I exclaim as loudly as I dare, checking over my shoulder to make sure my parents haven't heard.

"Is your dad mad?" He asks in return, ignoring my question entirely.

"Not at you. How did you know this was my room?"

"I have my sources," he grins, "but so I didn't get you in trouble or anything?"

"Not really, he just wants me to take more bending lessons. That's all."

"Oh! Maybe you have lessons with someone I know?" He asks. "Wait, hold on."

"What are you doing?!" I quietly yell as Kaito grabs hold of the decorations adorning the outer wall and begins to try and climb up. "You could fall to your death!"

"I won't die," he laughs, easily gaining ground with the equally spaced moldings at his disposal, "the worst that'll happen is a break my arm or something." He replies, perching precariously on the last remaining molding. He grunts as he jumps from there to grab hold of my windowsill. I gasp as one of his hands slips, and hurriedly grab hold of his arm, pulling him with all of my might into my bedroom. We collapse onto the floor, and Kaito pulls himself up to lean up against the wall, breathing heavily.

"You idiot! You could have fallen! And what are we going to do if my parents find you?" I point out, scooting towards him so I can speak at a lower volume.

"Your hair's down," he huffs, "I like it. It's pretty." He takes some between his fingers. "And really soft."

"Stop touching me whenever you please." I take back my hair from his hands, tucking it behind my ears.

"So who's your bending instructor?" Kaito asks again.

"Master Cho."

"Ah, I hear she's excellent."

"She is. She's kind and very knowledgeable. And she's patient."

"She probably doesn't have to be very patient with you, though. You seem like the type to pick things up quickly, and study until your brain goes numb." He presses his fingers to his temples and makes a silly face. I humor him with a small laugh, but look down at my hands.

"What?"

"No, it's nothing," I start, but I'm interrupted by a quick succession of raps on my door. My eyes go wide and Kaito's do too as we both scramble to our feet.

"May I come in?" My father asks from behind my closed door.

"Just a minute," I call back, panicking to find a place to stuff Kaito, "I was getting undressed."

Then an idea occurs to me and I tow Kaito over to my armoire, grab out my silk bathrobe, tossing it over my dress and then shoving Kaito inside and closing it tightly.

I dash over to my bed and sit down. "Come in."

My father enters and closes the door behind him, carefully and calmly making his way over to my bed to sit with me. He takes my hands in his. "Kazane, please accept my apology. I never meant to upset you, or make you feel as though I always keep you in the dark or that you must aspire to be this perfect child for me to be proud of you. I do want you to feel like your mother and I trust and believe in you, but somethings are better left unsaid for now. And as for your firebending lessons, we know you always do your best, we've just only ever wanted for you to be safe. And because of how long it's taken to get to this point in your bending, your mother and I worry. Not that you aren't good enough, because we love you unconditionally, every part of you, just that if something were ever to happen to us you would have to rely on someone else to be safe and secure."

"Don't talk like that, Father. Nothing's going to happen to either of you. And I apologize too, I … I overreacted. I know you only do the things you do to protect me and I'm sorry I've been taking that for granted."

My father smiles at me. "So then, can we make amends?"

"Of course." I smile back at him, and he embraces me tightly. I hold on to him just as fiercely and eventually he whispers,

"I love you. I hope you know that."

"I know. I love you too." Father kisses my forehead before getting up to leave, smiling kindly at me and shutting the door behind him. I then rush over to the armoire and free Kaito.

"Man, you have a lot of clothes." Kaito says, rotating his shoulder as if it's cramped up.

I take off the robe and put it back in its place, and while I'm doing so, Kaito continues, "What was your dad talking about when he said your bending wouldn't be enough for you to protect yourself?" I hesitate, and close my armoire slowly. "If … If you don't want to tell me you don't have to." He says, sitting casually on my bed.

"It's ok, I guess." I say, sitting next to him. "I just … I can't bend."

"Oh," is all he says for a moment, and a pang of guilt and shame hits me before he continues, "but that's not too bad, there are a lot of people in the world who aren't benders."

I shake my head quickly, looking down at my hands in my lap. "But it's not like that either. I can bend, but … I can't."

"Ok?"

"I can create the fire, but not much of it, and I can't really control it. Even though I've been taking lessons since I was young… It's weird and embarrassing."

"So you're just having trouble is all? That's not something to be embarrassed about! Maybe I can help you!" He smiles excitedly at me as I glance at him. "Maybe all you need is a new perspective on it!"

"I appreciate your offer, but I don't want to be a bother to you."

"It won't be a bother! That way, not only are you getting more practice firebending, but we can hang out more and get to know each other. Hopefully we can become friends."

"Well, I guess… If you're sure you want to."

"I am. This'll be fun, I promise! How about I meet you in the dojo after your lessons with Master Cho?" I nod in agreement. "Great! Then it's settled! I'll see you tomorrow in the dojo." He says confidently, heading back to the window.

"Wait! Please don't go out that way! let's just see if anyone's in the living room."

I tiptoe over to the door and peek my head outside, noticing the lack of parents. "Just go this way" I say quietly, gesturing for him to come over.

He kinda laughs and slips past me and into the living room. "See you tomorrow." He whispers, sauntering over to our door and slipping outside, but not before saluting me with a stupid grin on his face.

I close my bedroom door and flop back onto my bed, not knowing exactly what I've gotten myself into tomorrow. _What a strange boy… _I find myself trying to understand his curiosity or his incessant need to touch me, and as I contemplate those things I can't help but notice my mind wandering to how his long eyelashes dust his cheekbones when he blinks and how his light amber eyes contrast so strikingly, and so well against his dark hair. _But no matter how handsome he may be, he still acts like an overindulged child._ I sigh and bury my face into my pillows.

_Tomorrow's going to be a long day._


End file.
